So far, however, most of them are small and unlikely to pose a major near-term threat to British Telecom.

Of the countries with the next 10 largest defense budgets, only Russia and China are not U.S. allies, and they pose no near-term threat.

Securities industry executives said yesterday that J. P. Morgan & Company's newly granted ability to underwrite stocks was not much of a near-term threat.

Mr. Joy and other scientists have begun to warn of near-term terrorist threats based on genetically engineered biological weapons.

A flat hourly earnings number would provide the market some reassurance that wage inflation is not a near-term threat, analysts added.

"I don't see a near-term threat to the franchise."

It went beyond the original scope of the Congress, which was to develop a plan of defense related to near-term threats by France.

He repeated his recent assertions that there was no near-term threat of a jump in inflation.

I cannot see that it could pose a near-term threat to anyone.

"Beyond the near-term threat from North Korea, our interests are potentially jeopardized by the danger of instability and rivalry among major regional powers."